How can I get more (real) phone numbers in my leads?

[SeanWoodruff]

There have to be countless other people out there wondering this same exact thing. It seems like more and more leads come in with no phone numbers/fake phone numbers. I understand people don't want to be called, but its the real world, and in the real world I have a MUCH higher likelihood of getting them to come in to the dealership if we can get them on the phone. It's almost time to stop hiring people based on their outgoing-ness, and instead focus more on their ability to write.

But seriously, I want some good feedback here. Are you doing something that works well? I've considered putting "Please be careful when entering information. Incorrect phone numbers or email will cause the submission to be rejected", but that will without a doubt reduce my lead counts.

Looking for some good advice!

Thanks,
Sean

 

[john.quinn]

Your 1st email response can be your best friend here. Over-deliver -- give them more then they ask for to create a WOW -- and they'll want to talk to you. You have to earn that telephone number these days.

It's a tough pill to swallow for us traditional-thinking folk...

 

[GrantG]

Your 1st email response can be your best friend here. Over-deliver -- give them more then they ask for to create a WOW -- and they'll want to talk to you. You have to earn that telephone number these days.

It's a tough pill to swallow for us traditional-thinking folk...

@JQuinn- We have tried many different ways to engage a customer to give us a valid phone number through our email responses. Most times we strike out. What "best practice" word tracks are you using to get results?

 

[john.quinn]

@JQuinn- We have tried many different ways to engage a customer to give us a valid phone number through our email responses. Most times we strike out. What "best practice" word tracks are you using to get results?

Hi Grant,

I love this convo but I don't want to dominate the conversation...

There is no word-trac. There is a philosophy: make them want to talk to you. Make it so they can't wait to find-out if you are for "real."

Unfortunately, you have to partially abandon APB to do so.

If they ask for a quote, give them 4. If they ask a question, answer that question like your Mom was asking, then anticipate their next 2 questions and answer those too.

Hard to swallow from a dealership perspective, but simply place yourself unbiasedly in the consumer's shoes and ask, "What does this dealer need to do to earn the right to talk to me?"

You're on to something above when you talk about writing ability. Know how some people can "smile" over the phone? Some can do it with email too... But believe me, it's 1st to do with philosophy and process.

 

[Sara Chaudhary]

I guess your only method of generating the leads is your website. If, you want serious prospects then you need serious stuff on your website. You cannot expect all the BEST things for yourself until you deliver the best things to your prospects. You need to think very hard how to develop good rapport with your website visitors. Remember, no one would like to receive telesales calls or many emails in his/her inbox. Think along these lines that what do you do with Contact Info when you are seeking an information and go to someone's website. What makes you leave the contactable information?

 

[SeanWoodruff]

But this is sort of the point. I want to make gross profit, not blow out units. If the first conversation we have with them involves our rock-bottom price, then I am significantly reducing my odds of making gross profit. That's why I want to get them on the phone from the get go. Sell them on the reasons to do business here, ask the right questions, control the conversation, and set up an appointment with one of the sales managers on the floor to discuss pricing. If we can get them on the phone, then we can get them in the door, and more often then not without quoting a price. I agree that it's a good idea to give the customer what they want, and they are clearly looking for a price, but giving the customer what they want up front and not even trying to get them in without quoting a price is not the route I want to take. This is why I want a valid phone number in the lead.

 

[ryan.leslie]

Sean and Grant,

I totally agree with JQuinn, a great way to get the phone number is off of your caller ID right? Make your initial response something that differentiates you from the rest of the folks looking for that phone number too. The reason there is no phone number is likely because they don't want every dealer they've submitted a lead to calling.

ZMOT and the declining number of dealers visited pre-purchase paint a compelling picture that the battle is for lead to show. The consumer submits multiple leads and actively eliminates dealers from their shortlist.

(Disclaimer, I'm not trying to sell anything here, just give you an idea on how to use a tool I know you already have.) You guys are both DealerRater Certified stores, are your sales advisors utilizing the individual pages well to help get "real" communication flowing with a prospect? I've heard some great success stories from some of my folks about the power of that individual page to lift lead-to-show ratio by "humanizing" the consultant in the initial response. A photo, bio information, video introduction and 40+ reviews from customers just like me that bought from you is a lot of reasons to call you over the guy that also asked me when I could "come in to see it."

 

[GrantG]

Ryan- Thanks for the post. I agree that we need to seperate ourselves from the competition. I know that I do a better follow up job than the guy down the street. My goal for more telephone contact is to simply move customers further down in the purchase funnel. The more I speak with, the more I set appointments with, the more I close.

Selling is an art. Dialing for dollars is the same as banging keys for bucks. No matter how we do it, customer contact is the only way in coax someone further down the funnel.

Websters defines "Sell" as-

sell-to persuade or induce (someone) to buy something

 

[john.quinn]

But this is sort of the point. I want to make gross profit, not blow out units. If the first conversation we have with them involves our rock-bottom price, then I am significantly reducing my odds of making gross profit.

Who the hell said that???

This is not a "bust" Sean, (and Yago), and precisely the reason I said this is tough to swallow. You have to get over your pre-conceptions.

And by "you" I'm talking to all the lurkers who thought exactly what Sean had the balls to write. And when I say "we" please believe me that I was a LEADING e-commerce guy in these here United States not too long ago.

Sean, go back and read the words. Think about them. "If they ask for a price, give them four prices..." Did I suggest being a whore? Or did I suggest making my response different from the other 3-4 responses they got from the next 3-4 closest stores? One of these days I'm sure I'll meet one of those 1% who buy that exact unit at that exact price.....

Sean, in your mind what I wrote is about price. In my mind, what I wrote is about process. The difference between you and me is that I "succumbed" many years ago. And I was thrilled to find I was "wrong."

See the thing is, what I found out is that when those "ups" send you that notice with any type of legit contact information, they are actually looking for a reason to do business with you. I started giving them an excuse to do just that. My former approach made me the same as the other schmucks who think that shopping is about "price."

Sean and all you others out there, please believe me that I don't want to write this stuff. I am privy to the stats that these strings get thousands of "views," but few replies. I admire Sean and all who have the "stuff" to speak out and state their position. I am writing here tonight reluctantly because I thought sooooo much like Sean not too long ago, and learned differently -- and was SHOCKED by the results.

 

[SeanWoodruff]

I understand what you're trying to say JQuinn, but it's a tough thing to swallow. My honest belief is that if you get into a price war, then you're most likely going to lose, unless you can give a convincing enough argument to come here despite a price that is higher. And even though you say people aren't shopping for simply "price", I beg to differ. We love to think that customers care that we have "Extended Service Hours" and an "In-Town Shuttle Service" or some type of dealership-exclusive Rewards Program or Warranty, but let's get real. Customers see a bunch of BS in the 1st responses emails that they get, and skip through all of it to get to the price. Every dealership has something it can tout other than price and customers are realizing this. It's becoming the only thing that matters more and more and more as time goes on. This is why TrueCar is so popular and all these other resources like bestprice.rankingsandreviews.com. People don't want to be "sold" by a dealership, they want to buy where the price is the lowest.

What I do like is the concept of getting customers to know your staff and who they will be talking to and dealing with. The Dealer Rater profile pages are something that I do do with our dealership. My goal right now is to put pictures of our staff all over the website. Bio pages with information about family, friends, pets, birthplaces, hobbies, etc. is all great stuff to humanize us. This is a direction I will definitely be going.